Divorced the Cheat Married the Fleet (Camilla and Lance) novel Chapter 63

Jasper stared at the floor, his shoulders hunched. Whether he actually heard a word Barnard said, nobody could tell.

Barnard took Jasper’s silence as permission to keep going, so he softened his voice, sounding almost pleading. “Jasper, please, let’s not have any more drama. Daisy is just a little girl. You really don’t need to make a big deal out of this.”

Camilla, on the other hand, felt her irritation climbing with every word. Jasper was the one stuck in a hospital bed, but all Barnard seemed to care about was him making room for Daisy. Those excuses of his were supposed to sound so reasonable, but Camilla just found them ridiculous.

She finally spoke up, her voice cool. “Who says boys always have to cave to girls? The only reason you want Jasper to give in is because you think Daisy is more important than him. Jasper’s my son, I carried him for ten months, and I don’t want him ignoring his feelings just to please anyone. So, tell me, did you come here today to see Jasper, or are you just here to plead Daisy and Davina’s case?”

Barnard shot her a warning look. “Camilla, let’s not do this in front of the kids. Come outside, we need to talk.”

He was convinced kids absorbed grownups’ moods like sponges. In his mind, Jasper’s attitude toward Daisy didn’t exist until Camilla “taught” him to feel that way. He reached out and grabbed Camilla’s wrist, way too tight—right where she was hurt.

Sharp pain shot through Camilla’s arm and her whole body went tense. Still, she pressed her lips together, determined not to make a sound.

Jasper watched the whole thing from his bed, looking up at Camilla with quiet worry, not wanting her to leave.

Camilla didn’t think there was any point to this conversation, but Barnard wasn’t letting it drop, and she didn’t want Jasper to get more upset, so she followed Barnard out into the hallway.

It was late, the hospital halls mostly empty and quiet.

Barnard started in immediately. “Camilla, what happened to you? Why are you so bitter now? Davina and Daisy haven’t done anything to deserve this, but you pick fights and now you’re encouraging Jasper to do the same. Don’t you understand how important our example is to him? What are you getting out of dumping your anger and disappointment on your kid?”

He kept going, one accusation after another. To him, Camilla wasn’t just wrong—she was beyond forgiveness. He clung to the idea that Daisy and Davina were innocent, good people, and he wanted everyone else to share the same blind faith.

Camilla actually found it kind of funny. If he wanted to put on blinders, fine—but did he really expect everyone else to wear them too?

The doctor didn’t hide his irritation. “Who are you anyway? This is a hospital. What do you think you’re doing to my patient?”

Barnard snatched at his last bit of dignity. “I’m her husband. Could you just tell me what’s going on?”

The doctor’s expression only grew colder. “You’re her husband? And you didn’t know she was injured? This is the second time her wrist has dislocated in under two weeks. I told her to rest and not lift anything heavy. Since you’re here, why’d you let her pick up something like that? You trying to make this a lifelong injury?”

He didn’t stop—each question hit heavy, rapid-fire. Barnard found himself lost for words, his mind racing.

All Camilla had done was carry Jasper that day at the kindergarten. That alone had thrown her wrist out of place again? And when had she hurt herself for the first time? How could he, her husband, not notice any of this?

A hundred questions crashed through Barnard’s brain, swamping the anger he’d felt only moments earlier with uncertainty and guilt. The doctor just shook his head, tired and disappointed with men like Barnard who let things get this bad.